Mobile Devices Are Set to Inundate Enterprises

Mobile Devices Are Set to Inundate Enterprises

Gartner estimates that 821 million smartphones and tablets will be sold in 2012, accounting for 70 percent of all devices purchased this year.

Remember when the BlackBerry mattered so much to the enterprise? Research In Motion's (RIM's) smartphones were everything to corporate customers that realized that they could have employees working no matter where they were. For employees, the BlackBerry became a bit of an obsession, a product that they carried with them at all times and delivered to them easy access to the office and even friends. However, what we didn't know then was that it was just the tip of the iceberg. Since the iPhone's launch in 2007, the smartphone market has been tossed upside down as Apple and Samsung dominate that marketplace. The corporate world, meanwhile, has been adding more smartphones to not only keep users connected, but also appeal to employees who want the latest and greatest products. To those folks, the BlackBerry is no longer the essential tool that it once was. Regardless of whether companies are employing BlackBerry devices or smartphones from Apple, Samsung, or Motorola, if anything is clear, it's that the enterprise is investing heavily in mobile products. And according to research firm Gartner, which recently took a look at those investments, smart devices— which include smartphones and tablets—are going to be hitting the corporate world extremely hard in the coming year. Read here to learn more about enterprise adoption of smartphones and tablets.

Don Reisinger is a freelance technology columnist. He started writing about technology for Ziff-Davis' Gearlog.com. Since then, he has written extremely popular columns for CNET.com, Computerworld, InformationWeek, and others. He has appeared numerous times on national television to share his expertise with viewers. You can follow his every move at http://twitter.com/donreisinger.